Xfce Forum

solar

Member

Registered: 2017-08-03

Posts: 5

Feature - "Package, Setup & Theme Export / Import"..

I have been using XFCE for a good while, still I don't know half of what there is to know things XFCE.
So please forgive my ignorance where its applicable. Also I did not see a feature request section, and was wondering if that was by design.
Anyway, just putting an idea out there, if that is alright.

Here go's..

When tweaking my XFCE theme over and over again, the thought came to me, and I am sure that many others had this before me.

"Would it not be great to have a way to save/share themes and XFCE setups more easily with a file/package you can share with others that include all that has been used to get a specific look/feel/setup."

A Theme Export / Import feature.
As far I had it figured out it should include:

- XFCE importer package (all you need to setup you XFCE, so you don't get bloat packages on a fresh distro setup)
- a bash file of the used XFCE packages
- settings of the inner workings of XFCE
- layout settings of XFCE
- wallpaper that was used (if included with the theme)
- a command-line/window/menu to select the theme to import
- option box to tick for the import of the wallpaper used by the theme or not.
- option box to tick the packages you want to keep of the former installation that are not used in the new setup (the rest should be removed by not ticking them) (default should have them all ticked) (option to all un-tick them with one click or command)

This might have a good effect on the XFCE community growth.
I know many of you like tweaking, and I do too, but having to setup my UI again and again from the top of my head and screenshots is an real inefficient way to spend time.
So next time I setup a distro, and install the "XFCE importer package" and import my setup, it would save me at least half a day optimizing my UI.

I was not sure if posting this would get well received. Therefore after thinking for a few months to make this post, I eventually thought I wouldn't find out until I actually did.

Cheers!
sol

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,486

Re: Feature - "Package, Setup & Theme Export / Import"..

There are a few third-party tools that do pieces of this. There is:

- gtk-theme-config - for configuring gtk colours
- xfpanel-switch - for backing up and restoring panel configurations
- Xfce Theme Manager - a one place config centre for many Xfce settings including the ability to save and restore these configurations.

See how much of your list is covered by those tools. Though it would definitely be a good idea to have it all in one app.

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solar

Member

Registered: 2017-08-03

Posts: 5

Re: Feature - "Package, Setup & Theme Export / Import"..

Aaah! Great!!

Proves my ignorance, doesn't it.
I will have a look into it.

Thanks & Cheers!
sol

MountainDewManiac

Member

From: Where Mr. Bankruptcy is Prez

Registered: 2013-03-24

Posts: 1,115

Re: Feature - "Package, Setup & Theme Export / Import"..

I did not see a feature request section, and was wondering if that was by design.

Well, remember that this forum is not something that is ran/staffed by the Xfce development team. Instead, it is a community support forum that is (as far as I know) staffed by other Xfce users just like you, who care enough about helping others to put in the time.

In other words, while a developer may (in his copious amount of spare time, lol) visit the forum and read and/or post, there is no official process. And I was kidding about the spare time - I would guess that the Xfce developers are at least as busy as the rest of us.

See post #2 in this thread, it explains where to file a feature request, along with the reason that it may not receive a great deal of attention at this point in time:
https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=11745

Still, if you have an idea for a feature request that you believe has merit, by all means, post it (where instructed in that thread). At some point, they will surely have time to think about other things than what they are focusing on right now, and I assume they'll look at such requests at that time.

Regards,
MDM

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